Together for Life. And to Innovate Learning
Marcia Martini, 43, is an educator and language teacher with experience developing English learning and teaching products. Roberto Benassi, 41, is an aerospace engineering graduate and a business developer. Roberto and Marcia, husband and wife, have decided to combine forces, experience and skills to launch an innovative startup. "SchoolNextDoor was created in 2010 in Florence as an English school for children aged 2 to 10 years," they say. "Our aim is to market on a large scale the methodologies and teaching games developed over years of researching and observing classes. We want to provide more children with the chance to learn English in a new way, based on the belief that in order to learn a language, you need to forget you're learning a language."
SchoolNextDoor's products and methodologies are based on three elements. First, teaching that considers the theory of multiple intelligences: "It's the awareness that the learning process varies from child to child, some are visual learners and prefer using colors for learning, some are musical and prefer using sounds. This is why in any class, there needs to be more input," explains Roberto. The second element is an innovative product design that encourages the sensorial-recreational aspect and the third uses technology as an connector between the digital and non-digital worlds. "To better explain: our teaching games are for language learning. An example is our digital light table. Various content and images appear on its surface based on the chosen exercise," continues Roberto. "Children interact with the table through objects, for example silicon animals, to place on the interactive surface. They therefore have direct and tactile contact with a dog or horse figurine, they don't simply click." Children are inspired by playing and learning English by having fun, in part thanks to the support of a tablet that provides feedback on the accuracy of the exercise. "We know that it works because children spend hours playing with these products and when it's time to go, it's hard for parents to get their children to leave. The result? They learned English without even noticing."
SchoolNextDoor is incubated by Speed MI Up, an initiative by the Milan Chamber of Commerce and Bocconi University (with contributions from the City of Milan), which helps and supports new entrepreneurs develop their business ideas.